The Ombudsman Institution in Small States: The Case of Cyprus

Many small state constitutions provide for the establishment of an ombudsman. In the Cyprus case, the original constitution-makers were preoccupied with other things, and many years were to elapse before provision was made for the appointment of an ombudsman. While the office now plays an important part in the governance of the island, its provision needs to be viewed as part of this small state's preparation to become part of the European Union rather than as an accommodation to small state orthodoxy.     

THE DEBATE ABOUT HOMELESSNESS

Three definitions of homelessness which have been influential in Australia may be categorised as the literal, the subjectivist and the cultural. The literal definition equates homelessness with ‘rooflessness’. The subjectivist definition attempts to establish homelessness ‘ by asking people about the adequacy of their accommodation The cultural definition argues that homelessness is an objective category which is not dependent on people's perceptions. From examining the usefulness of the three definitions in relation to a large body of data collected at an agency providing services for homeless people, we may contend that homelessness is best treated as a concept like poverty, which should be measured objectively and not depend on people's perceptions.     

Similarity,Isomorphism or Duality? Recent Survey Evidence on the Human Resource Management Policies of Multinational Corporations

There is considerable debate as to the determinants of the human resource policies of human resource management: do they reflect national institutional or cultural realities, emerging common global practices, parent country effects or the dual effects of transnational and national realities? We use an extensive international database to explore these differences, assessing variations in a range of human resource practices. We find new evidence of national differences in the manner in which indigenous firms manage their people, but also evidence of a similarity in practice amongst multinational corporations. In other words, multinational corporations tend to manage their human resources in ways that are distinct from those of their host country; at the same time, country of origin effects seem relatively weak. Whilst there is some evidence of common global practices, sufficient diversity in practice persists to suggest that duality theories may provide the most appropriate explanation.     

NGOs and international business research: Progress,prospects and problems

Civil society, and non‐government organizations (NGOs) in particular, have become a research interest in international business (IB). The purpose of this paper is to review scholarly understandings of the nature and significance of NGOs in IB. Contributions from complementary research domains are also explored with a view to encouraging greater interdisciplinary integration in analysing the NGO sector and in particular its relations with multinational enterprises (MNEs). These domains are: strategic alliances and resource dependency; global governance and multilateralism; public management; and regulation theory. The primary argument is that such interdisciplinarity may facilitate more innovative IB treatments of the role of NGOs, reflecting more adequately their strategic environment and motivations. Moreover, including a multitude of perspectives helps to address broader issues identified by scholars as pivotal to the future standing of the field: the nature of strategic agency among organizations other than MNEs; the interpretation of globalization and its implications for organizations; and whether IB is too isolated from the other social sciences.     

Are bygones bygones?

This article reports an experiment which tests the principle of separability, i.e. that behaviour in a dynamic choice problem is independent of history and of unreachable eventualities. Although this is a well-known principle of orthodox decision theory and central to conventional economic modelling, it has been questioned on grounds suggested by non-expected utility models of choice under risk and by the psychology of affective influences on risk-taking. Our experimental design, which provides between-subjects tests of separability using three treatments in which the history preceding a decision is manipulated, is inspired by these concerns. We expose separability to a clean and harsh test, but find no evidence that it is violated.     

The "X component" in Shanghai's social security reforms

In 2003, the Shanghai Bureau of Labour and Social Security launched the zhenbao (town insurance) programme, now widely known as 25 plus X. This scheme is regarded as an important experiment in social security reform and has been lauded for extending social security to areas where previously only segments of the population had mandatory coverage. Using data from 103,000 individuals enrolled in 25 plus X, we examine the extent to which the scheme represents an extension in social security coverage. Our analysis suggests that while it does represent an extension of benefits for some, for many it represents a considerable dilution in benefits.     

Yes We Did! Basking in Reflected Glory and Cutting Off Reflected Failure in the 2008 Presidential Election

In two studies, the tendency to Bask in Reflected Glory (BIRG) or Cut Off Reflected Failure (CORF) was examined in the context of the 2008 presidential election. Experiment 1, a field study, found that yard or window signs endorsing successful Democratic candidate Barack Obama were displayed longer than signs endorsing his opponent. Experiment 2 utilized a survey methodology to explore moderators of the BIRG effect implied by prior research. Self-esteem was shown to moderate CORF, such that individuals with lower self-esteem distanced themselves from the unsuccessful presidential candidate. Other moderators consistent with the cognitive consistency basis of BIRG, strength of identification and self-serving attributions, were not. Reasons for these findings are discussed, and future directions for research on BIRG are proposed.     

Workplace discrimination and HIV/AIDS: the national EEOC ADA research project

This article utilizes data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Integrated Mission System database to document the levels of employment discrimination involving individuals with HIV/AIDS. The researchers explore the theory that the nature of HIV/AIDS related employment discrimination is rooted in deeper stigmatization than discrimination against other disability groups. Researchers compare and contrast key demographic characteristics of Charging Parties and Respondents involved in HIV/AIDS related allegations of discrimination and their proportion of EEOC merit resolutions to those of persons with other physical, sensory, and neurological impairments. Findings indicate that, in contrast to the general disability group, HIV/AIDS was more likely to be male, ethnic minorities, between the ages of 25-44, in white collar jobs, in the South and West and to work for businesses with 15 to 100 employees. Additionally, the allegations in HIV/AIDS were more likely to receive merit resolution from the EEOC by a large difference of ten percent.